The Hindu 21.05.2010
Councillors urged to adopt resolution on subway construction
Special Correspondent
Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy 
Voice in unison: Social activists staging a demonstration in Cuddalore on Thursday. —
CUDDALORE: Activists of various welfare organisations staged a demonstration in front of the Cuddalore Municipality here on Thursday. They wanted councillors to immediately adopt a resolution giving their consent for the construction of a subway at the Lawrence Road railway crossing here.
The activist said that the Railways had, in 2003, sanctioned a sum of Rs. 16 crore for the construction of a flyover at Soorappanaickenchavadi and a subway on Lawrence Road. However, the allotted funds were spent on the flyover project alone.
As the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai gauge conversion was under way, the subway project was put on backburner. Railway authorities said that once train services resumed in this section, a wall would be erected at the Lawrence Road railway crossing, blocking traffic.
Realising that such a move would cause great inconvenience to commuters, welfare organisations formed a joint action council and staged agitations to impress upon the authorities the need for a subway.
Consequently, the State government sanctioned Rs. 7.6 crore for the project and the Railways gave its approval for the blueprint. Meanwhile, Collector P. Seetharaman sent a request to the Municipal Council to pass a resolution approving the construction of a subway and a service road, the activists said.
However, the Council kept it in abeyance, stating that the issue could first be discussed at a meeting of political leaders and representatives of welfare organisations to be convened by the Collector.
The activists alleged that the civic body had, thus, shirked its responsibility. Therefore, to call the attention of the councillors to the vital issue, the activists embarked upon the agitation.
M. Nizamudeen of the Consumer Confederation of Tamil Nadu, M. Marudhavanan of Federation of All Residents' Welfare Associations of Cuddalore, Kumar of Venn Pura, Duraivelu of Tharasu and Thjirumarban, advocate, participated in the demonstration.
